Notes and Observations 11 Part 5

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. MAMMALS OF HAVERGATE ISLAND. 6 short eared owl pellets found on Havergate Island in the spring of 1960 contained the remains of 9 Field Voles (Microtus agrestis) identified by Mrs. Parslow of the Natural History Museum. These animals at least are obviously thoroughly re-established since the flood of February, 1953.

CRANBROOK.

SEROTINE BAT (Eptesicus serotinus). Mr. H. E. Keys sent me 7 serotines taken when repairing a cottage roof in Bures in May, 2 were taken in a mist net when Aying low taking summer chafers from the privet hedges along A.12 north of Wickham Market in June and a young male, also in a mist net, on the Samford R . D . C . rubbish tip at Bentley in September. The serotine, previously reported only from Lowestoft (Trans. S.N.S. II, 1932 p.13) and Little Glemham (Trans. S.N.S. IX, 1955, p.369), has always been considered to be rare in Suffolk. It is probably widely distributed but not recognized, Aying as it does well before dark and often in Company with noctules from which it can only be distinguished when on the wing by those who know both bats well. Mr. Keys teils me that he not infrequently Ands " large bats " when repairing house roofs, and these are probably serotines since in the summer noctules usually roost in hollow trees, serotines in houses. A large bat, with a forearm about 50 mm. long, it has longish brown fĂźr and roundly pointed ears, longer than wide, which in the hand makes it easily distinguishable from the noctule which is about the same size but has short velvety golden fĂźr and short rounded ears.

CRANBROOK.

WATER RAT (Arvicola terrestris).

In June, 1 9 6 0 , at about 9 . 3 0 p.m. I ran over and killed an adult female water rat on the Sudbourne-Butley road about f mile from Chillesford Decoy, the nearest water.

M. WATSON, Orford.

WATER RATS EATING POPLAR ROOTS. This damage has been observed on newly planted poplars in Lakenheath Great Fen, SuAolk, since 1955. Both " deep-planted " (30") and " shallowplanted " (12") trees have been attacked, growth being severely retarded, with death of the whole plant in a number of cases.

There has been no record of observable damage on trees not attacked the Arst year after planting, nor on trees planted more than 10 feet from the dyke. This suggests either that the poplar

454

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

root system develops sufficiently rapidly to withstand later attack, or that the root system developed outside a relatively narrow zone next the water-course is free from attack.

T h e animals eat the smaller roots entirely, but strip the cortex from larger roots and from the buried part of the main stem up to ground level. T h i s generally occurs prior to leafing with the consequence that attack is characterized by a lack of leaf expansion after the initial flushing. T h e tree often stays in this checked condition for the whole of the growing season, but may die completely. Occasionally a tree survives and develops normally in subsequent years. (See frontispiece.)

J . MACKAY, Southwood, Culford.

R E D SQUIRREL ( S c i u r u s vulgaris

leucourus)

EATING A P H I S .

TWO

peach trees here are heavily infested with aphis and a young squirrel has frequently been seen to bite off infested leaves and scrape or lick off the aphides.

MRS. BARTON, Lt. Blakenham.

COYPU (Myocastor coypus). There have been many reports of coypu from rivers or near rivers : one was killed in a harvest field at S a x t e a d .

MINK (Lutreola).

1959.

CRANBROOK.

One reported killed by the river at Beccles in LOWESTOFT F I E L D C L U B .

SEALS ON SCROBY SANDS. Our first visit to Scroby was on June 6th when there were three separate herds of Common Seals totalling about 150. Among these was a small number of Grey Seals. We were unable to land that morning owing to a fast falling tide.

On June 16th we spent the whole day on the Sandbank, accompanied by Dr. Frazer and M r . T e d Smith of the Nature Conservancy. There was only a small number of seals, 49 Common and 17 Grey. Amongst the Greys Dr. Frazer reported a " Red Headed " Seal, only the third he had seen around the British Isles.

He was unable to explain how these " Red-Heads " originate.

On June 19th there were approximately 80 common seals including 2 healthy pups and 20 grey seals.

T h e n came the disastrous N.W. gales and high tides on the last day of June and when we visited the island again on July 3rd we found that there were approximately 200 Common Seals and about 30 Grey Seals. We thought that this increase could have been due to the fact that many seals had taken refuge on this sandbank from recent storms. That morning we also counted 25

NOTES AND OBSFRVATIONS

455

common seal pups, many of which were recently born. Three of the pups were found dead and the Greater Blackbacked Gulls had already started to feed on the carcases.

Owing to adverse weather we were unable to get out to Scroby again before July 27th. The seal population that day was about the same as on our previous visit. There were four dead seal pups on the sands that morning. This was our last visit to the Scroby Sands. Although the 1960 Summer ended in complete disaster for the colonies of Common and Sandwich Tern, the Common Seals appeared to have enjoyed quite a good breeding season.

R . H . HARRISON, Gt. Yarmouth.

C O M M O N SEAL P U P IN NOVEMBER. On November 28th, 1960, Messrs. P. Trett and J. Woolston visited Scroby Sands and found 4 grey seal pups and 1 common seal pup. The last they examined closely: the teeth were those of a pup, the umbilical cord had gone but only recently and they were both of the opinion that it was a common seal born out of season. We visited the Sands again on December 16th when there were about 200 common seals, 100 adult grey seals and 13 grey seal pups. The grey seal colony is obviously much larger then we have hitherto thought.

R. H.

HARRISON.

BAT PARASITES. The flea Ischnopsyllus intermedius (Rothschild) from a Serotine bat taken at Bures has been identified by Mr. R. S. George. The only other Suffolk record is from a Noctule taken at Newmarket in 1886. (" An Illustrated Catalogue of the Rothschild Collection of Fleas ". Hopkins & Rothschild, 1956.

2, p.289) but it has not hitherto been recorded in Trans. S.N.S. The mite Spinturnix acuminatus (Koch) identified by Mr. K. H. Hyatt, the bug Climex pipistrelli Jenyns identified by Mr. R. J. Izzard were taken from noctule bats at Great Glemham. These last two have not previously been recorded from Suffolk.

CRANBROOK.

A

NEW

PUBLICATION.

TRAVAUX

DU

MUSEUM

D'HISTOIRE

NATURELLE,

1830-1960,

Bucharest, in two volumes. Large parts are in English as well as in French, German and Rumanian. There are articles of great interest in all branches of Natural Hisotry. It is deposited with other publications we receive at the Central Library, Ipswich.

W. H. Payn hopes to complete his new " Birds of Suffolk " by mid-year. He would be most grateful for any interesting records covering 1960. Please send to Härtest Place, Bury St. Edmunds.